"Get Lady Copperstone," Iris gasped, barely audible as her eyes teared up.
Mikhail nodded. "Please, stay with her, Olga."
"Yes," Olga replied reflexively, already holding Iris's hand. Then, the request sank in. "No, wait! I could get the others..."
Too late. Mikhail was already running towards the mansion on the opposite side of the estate. It would take a while for him to get back. Meanwhile, Olga could not bring herself to leave Lady Iris alone.
For the moment, all of Olga's confidence and authority were gone, leaving a scared young woman with far too much thrust upon her shoulders in too short a time. She stroked the lovely Horse Witch's hand more to soothe her own nerves. "I apologize," she muttered weakly. "I had hoped your more flexible body would have made this easier. Perhaps my spell was inadequate since you were not in horse form at the time."
Despite her pain, Iris managed to give her a comforting smile. "You meant well."
Then, Olga's eyes brightened. "What if you took your horse form now? I could be of greater assistance then."
"Now? At mid-birth?" Iris nearly choked as her body tensed. "Is that safe?"
"Safer than going the other way, I am sure. Your horse form would be larger and would experience less pain. Look, I will lend you some magic to ease the strain and deal with any complications that may arise."
Iris winced. She could see that Olga was making this suggestion out of desperation. Still, if it would help in this situation, it might be worth the risk.